Return to Woodbury
by Strophee
Summary: Events after "A Dangerous Game", various ships included, but mainly Milton/Andrea.
1. Plans

**Please read my other fic, "A Dangerous Game" before reading this, as it will not make a shred of sense to you.**

**These are the events that follow after the Governor's death at the Prison. **

* * *

Days had passed since the showdown between the prison group and the Governor. The sun brought with it a different world. Different walkers. Yet everything remained the same. There was still a wooden cross out there labeled "Philip", and there were reasons for the body beneath it, reasons that could not be fully understood or accepted. It should have been enough to have to face the legions of the undead.. facing your friends shouldn't have been an option. Milton knew it shouldn't have come to this, and yet no matter how much he wished it hadn't... the truth still remained: Philip had died.. and as much as he tried to tell himself he didn't.. deep down he knew that he deserved it.

There was a rage within him that he had never known before in his life.. a rage that surpassed that he felt when he discovered Andrea in the Governor's torture chamber. A rage that he could not shake no matter how much he tried. It wasn't a rage directed at Philip, but a rage directed at the world around him for what it had done to him and to the people around him.

While they had attempted to rebuild the prison and mend the damage caused by the fight.. the walkers made it difficult. They would clean out the yard only for it to fill up before they made any solid progress. They were tired, and their supplies were running out.

Milton had a plan, but he knew it was risky.

One morning at breakfast, he decided maybe it was time to run it by the group. Even if they decided against it, he could say that he offered a real option, nonetheless.

Glenn and Carol wore bandages over their wounds, but they were on the mend. Hershel's expertise was limited, but Milton trusted him. He was a good man, and had embraced Milton when he thought it impossible.

Rick had just sat down at the table when Milton blurted it out. There really wasn't any time to delay. If they agreed that this was a decent plan.. they needed to leave immediately. Judith was running low on formula, and they could all use food. There was tension in the group due to being stuck in the same place for so long, and the constant rebuilding of the wall that shouldn't have taken half as long as it was taking now.

"We could go to Woodbury," he had breathed, so quickly that he wasn't sure he had actually said it, only that he felt a surge of anxiety and the entire table began to look at him as if he'd grown an extra head.

Daryl picked apart a piece of stale bread and shook his head, "Dude, you said you unleashed walkers on that place."

Milton nodded reluctantly, "I did.. but that's the thing. We're already taking out walkers here. Couldn't we try our chances there? There's food.. supplies.. clothing, shelter.. even generators. Granted, they're not the most powerful.. but it's more than we have here right now."

Maggie smiled and seemed genuinely on board with this plan, while Glenn rolled his eyes and expressed his disgust with his twisted expression and folded arms.

"No.. no way. It's too dangerous, and I don't know about you guys but I don't want to take that risk." Glenn argued, and Maggie elbowed him in the side.

She got up and went over to Milton to place a hand on his shoulder, and Glenn was livid.

"I'm with Milton. I can't stand being here another day. Not much better out there on the road... but I'm starting to go crazy. Maybe its worth it. We've got to find out, right?"

Glenn shook his lowered head but refused to say anything more. His opinion had been made clear... maybe the others would have better sense than Maggie was exercising.

Carl joined Maggie and nodded, "Yeah, we have to. I don't want my sister growing up in a prison. Besides, you guys said that Woodbury was nice looking. Even normal.. like before the outbreak. I miss normal..."

It didn't take long before Carol, Beth and Hershel voted in favor of this plan, too.

This left Glenn, Rick, and Daryl.

"Well if that's what y'all are wantin'.. don't see much point in votin' against ya." Daryl grumbled before joining the rest of the group's side. Rick followed, and Glenn stood alone.

They all looked at him and he sighed loudly.

"Doesn't look like I have much of a choice." he refused to join them, but he at least was willing to go along with it. That was enough.

* * *

Within a few hours, they had packed everything they could salvage and carry with them and set out for Woodbury.

It was a good ways from the Prison, and evening was upon them when they approached the town. Milton was shocked to see the gates now closed, and no walkers in sight. Something didn't feel right.

They got out of the car and Rick called out to whoever might be around to hear him.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

With grinding and creaking sounds, the gate opened to reveal 5 people. Four armed men, and one woman. All wearing dark motorcycle helmets.

The woman tugged at her helmet and pulled it off of her head with minimal effort. Several gasps escaped the group when they saw her. An unusual sight to see in a time like this.

She was small and delicate, the exact way you would think a woman should be. Too small to be wielding a gun, but she looked like she could do some serious damage if necessary. When she took off her helmet, long locks of hair fell down around her face and shoulders. Her hair was white as snow, and her skin was pale and soft. Her eyes were icy blue and piercing through each group member's face... and her gun was aimed directly at Milton.

He waited for her to fire and he knew that he had made a mistake.

Woodbury was gone forever. At least, it was to to them.

There could be no safety here.


	2. No light

The woman smiled and lowered her gun just as the thought that he could die at her hand had entered Milton's mind. Neither one of them had recognized the other person.. and she smiled.  
"Milton Mamet." she stated simply, and he lowered his raised hands slowly, blinking repeatedly.  
This had to be a dream. There was no possible way she could be alive now. Not after...

_No._

She was different. Her hair hadn't been white before.. she hadn't been like this at all...  
"...Shona." he whispered, half refusing to believe the woman that stood before him. She nodded to either of the guards, who lowered their weapons immediately.

She embraced Milton tightly and buried her face in his neck.. Andrea could feel anger flaring within her. Whoever this girl was.. she didn't like her. Nothing could make this okay. She hadn't seen her before and had no idea how Milton could know someone like her.  
"I watched you get bit.." he breathed softly, and she chuckled, tugging at her shirt sleeve until it slid up to reveal a black mark on her arm. It was a bite mark, no doubt.. or rather, it had been. Now it resembled a tattoo. The entire group gathered around her and the air was filled with their blatant curiosity and disbelief.

"That's a tattoo." Rick stated, and laughed as though the girl was insane. Milton's mouth was open in awe as he ran his hands over her arm.. certain that, if he touched her the right way.. the veil would be lifted from his eyes, and he'd see the awful bite as he had seen it so long ago. There was no way she should have survived it. Yet here she stood, smiling at him.. far healthier than any member of their group had been in quite some time. She pulled her sleeve down, and Milton felt no less curious and stunned.

"You completely healed.." he whispered, and she nodded. "You're just the man I need."  
"..For what?"

As the two talked, the guards opened the gates to Woodbury, and they all walked into the town to avoid attracting walkers. Woodbury wasn't at all like it had been before. It was better. They had rebuilt the walls. Reinforced them. Shona had taken the town and turned it into a force to be reckoned with, and Milton was impressed with her hard work and devotion to the town that she had once belonged to, just as he had. He was more relieved, however, to see that his destruction could be cleaned up.. that the wrongs could be made right.  
"Come, Milton.. walk with me." she offered, and he glanced at Andrea before joining her. Andrea glared daggers in him, and he felt guilty.. but his curiosity was bubbling over. It wasn't everyday you found someone who survived a walker's bite.. and you never found someone who had regenerated completely.

She hadn't gotten out of breath once, and each step seemed to make her appear so much stronger. "I don't know what happened. I thought I was a goner."  
"You should have been... I don't know what you did, but.."

"I didn't do anything," she interrupted, "I felt an intense burning that caused me to lose consciousness. When I woke up, the bite was healing itself.. leaving the mark you saw. I hadn't taken anything for it.. in fact, I was pretty sure it was over. There was no need to waste resources on a lost cause. My hair changed.." she tugged on a strand of hair, and the light seemed to make it shimmer, he had never seen hair so white, even on the elderly. "..and I had a strength that I have never known before. I could run for hours without needing to rest.. I could lift things that I couldn't before. I could even see clearer than I ever had before in my life. It all happened because of this bite."  
"That's not possible," Milton was an exceptionally intelligent man, and he just couldn't believe that this outbreak had somehow caused her to mutate and overcome the infection... no, not just overcome.. completely destroy it.. becoming a stronger and better human being. Yet he had seen her get bitten on one of the Governor's supply runs. He had gripped the pale flesh that had been ripped into by the savage beast, and he had felt the warm blood run over his trembling hands. He looked into her eyes and he knew that she would die.. but he was forced to leave her side as the Governor commanded. He begged him to put a bullet in her head.. to end her suffering; the first time Milton had ever asked him to kill anything... and he had refused, urging Milton to get in the truck. He had mourned her for so long before Andrea came into the picture. She had been his only companion, and though she did not share his initial belief that the walkers still retained a fragment of humanity, she helped him with his experiments as much as she could, and she respected him. He loved her deeply, and though it was a different kind of love than what he felt for Andrea.. she was a precious part of his life. Now, somehow, she had returned, and he felt overcome with joy. She had an unbreakable will, and a desire to do good that out shined even his own. She had suffered great loss, but continued to fight, believing it would pay off in the end. Milton wished on more than one occasion that he could be more like her... and now he couldn't believe her transformation. She was frighteningly beautiful and powerful.. and he couldn't help but fear her, much like he had feared the Governor.

She led him back to his old lab, and he couldn't resist indulging himself a little.. "So, why not show off a little bit? Let me see what you can do."  
She smiled devilishly as her eyes scanned the room and she picked up a heavy crystal that had sat on his desk, turning it over in her hands before closing them around it and reducing it to rubble. Milton blinked.. he had underestimated her strength.

What she did next caused a jolt of panic for him. She held a lit candle under her palm and nodded her head from side to side as if keeping track of time.

He lunged forward and grabbed her hand away from the open flame, turning it over twice. He was sure it should be charred.. and yet as he looked closer, he saw the dark pink patch as it lightened and turned back to her pale skin color. She looked at him with a blank expression, and there was nothing but silence between them except for the sound of Milton's heavy breathing.  
"Milton.." her voice shook, and she fought back tears, "what's happening to me?"

He saw it now. Beneath the strong, fearless facade she had put so much effort into maintaining... there was fear. Not just a fear of the world around her, but a fear of herself. A distrust of everything she was, and whatever she was becoming now.  
The truth was, he didn't know what was happening.. but if she could regenerate.. if she could fight the infection.. he might have found the answer to his prayers. He might have found a cure.

She touched his cheek lightly, and he knew she was being extremely careful. He must have seemed so breakable to her now.. not that he hadn't always been a fragile man in everyone's eyes. Now it was more literal. She didn't want to hurt him.. but something felt wrong. His thoughts turned to Andrea. The woman he loved.. the woman he had risked everything for. She had been so angry at his curiosity and his affection for Shona. She didn't know her like Milton did. Shona had once been a strong part of the Governor's team.. a capable killer, but a sane and normal woman who only did what was necessary to survive. She had saved many people, and made every effort to assist Woodbury and its progression. Even the Governor couldn't deny she was a jewel.. she was valuable... yet she was so easy to leave behind the moment she was injured. Milton had never connected with anyone in Woodbury quite like her. She was intelligent, but she had a physical strength that was inspiring as well. He often thought of her as the perfect woman.. until he met Andrea. Andrea had been perfect for him in every way, and nothing could make him doubt that... no one could make him doubt that.

He leaned into her touch, and immediately stopped himself. This wasn't right.. and he needed to leave.  
"Shona...I can't.." he whispered, and she rolled her eyes, knowing what he was about to say, but before she could speak against his protests, a hurt gasp came from behind them.

Milton turned to see Andrea... her hand over her mouth and her expression filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. She turned quickly and ran from the room as fast as she could. He called after her, but when he reached the door, she was no where to be seen.  
"Please..." Shona spoke softly and her voice rang with guilt, "...tell me she isn't your girlfriend.."  
Milton stepped back into the room and sighed loudly, "She may not be anymore..."  
Shona stepped carefully and slowly toward him and took one of his hands in her own. "Go to her, my dear... tell her it was my fault. A misunderstanding... nothing more."

Milton nodded and walked toward the door, their hands still clasped together. He glanced at them for a moment before looking back at her. He thought he saw pain in her eyes.. but it vanished within seconds. He couldn't understand why he felt he was destroying something by leaving Shona here.. but he had a life waiting for him.. a love that needed to be preserved, and a woman who needed to hear what only he could tell her.  
He let her hand go, and it fell back to her side... he couldn't bear to look at her once more. He left as quickly as he could, and felt an immense weight leave him the moment he left her presence.

She was left in silence, and she tried to reason with herself. She didn't know why she was disappointed with him for leaving.. but the harder she struggled to fight her feelings.. the more they invaded her. With every breath, her disappointment gave way to pure, boiling fury.. and her eyes began to burn. She couldn't stop herself from shoving everything on his desk off onto the floor.. or from continuing her destruction and taking her fury out on the rest of his lab. She fought hard with herself, but her body would not obey her.

She was losing this battle. She screamed Milton's name before falling to the floor of the lab, and letting darkness take her.

**No light, no light in your bright blue eyes**  
**I never knew daylight could be so violent**  
**A revelation in the light of day**  
**You can't choose what stays and what fades away**

**Would you leave me,**  
**If I told you what I've done?**  
**And would you need me,**  
**If I told you what I've become?**  
**'cause it's so easy,**  
**To say it to a crowd**  
**But it's so hard,**  
**To say it to you out loud**


	3. Walking away

Milton caught up with Andrea back at their apartment after asking around to see which one was theirs. He walked in to see she was gathering up things she had intended to unpack later.

Leaning against the door frame, he studied her. She threw things into a small bag, sighing as she did so. He frowned and tapped his nails against the frame so that she turned around to reveal her red eyes and tear-streaked face. She tried to hide the bag behind her, and the corners of her mouth twisted into a reluctant smile. She was prepared to lie, but he just couldn't handle anymore lies.  
He raised his hands to stop whatever thoughts were forming.. whatever words were about to leave her lips.  
"Don't. You're angry.. and no amount of lies will tell me otherwise."

Her expression broke into one of pain and anger once more. Just what he had fully expected and wanted now. He wanted the truth.. every little raw detail of it.

"Look, I get it," Andrea's tone took on that indifference it did when she was trying to tell herself she didn't care, "You two have a history.. but I'm not going to compete with that. She's beautiful. Stunning actually. I can't blame you for whatever happened.. but I won't wait around to fade into the background."

He laughed and crossed his arms,  
"I've never touched anyone but you. Shona and I were friends, nothing more. I would never betray you.."  
"You betrayed Philip by saving me.. and I know, it's not a fair comparison.. but you did. You do what you have to, I know. That's the world we live in. Sometimes you can't change what your heart feels."  
Milton's mouth was open in shock, but he had to admit, there was anger too.  
"How can you possibly compare this to what happened with the Governor? Shona and I haven't done anything.. and we never will! I don't know if this is all a cry for attention or what, but in case you haven't noticed.. I've lied for you, I've stolen.. I've even killed people to keep you safe. How dare you stand there and accuse me of lying to you and betraying you. I haven't done a damn thing wrong here."  
She leaned back and chuckled once, "Well, here I thought you were going to be reasonable about this.. but you go and say something stupid.."  
"Right back at you."  
"Go to hell, Milton."  
She snatched the bag off of the bed and started to storm out, but Milton stood in front of the door.  
"Get out of my way, or I swear to God.."  
"You swear what? You'll do what? Shoot me?" he held his arms out and stepped back against the door, "I'm waiting."  
She sighed and tapped her foot impatiently, "Just move, okay? I don't want to talk about this anymore."  
"Yes, because the moment anything gets too real around here, you immediately want to run off."  
"I'm not going to sit here and talk about the ice queen who has taken over the town."  
"Insults? That's low, Andrea. Are you capable of any form of maturity?"  
"She's not good for you.. and she sure as hell isn't good for Woodbury."  
"Because the Governor was."  
"She's regenerating! That's not normal."  
Milton laughed, "Would you prefer she was a walker?"  
What Andrea said next sent a wave of fury over Milton,  
"At least then, I could put a bullet in her head without getting any crap from you."  
Milton's eyes narrowed into slits, and Andrea swallowed nervously.  
"That was uncalled for."  
"And you getting all comfy with her in your lab.. that was just fine, huh?"

Milton walked closer to her, away from the door,  
"You can be angry with me if you like, but you can't be angry with someone who's taken you in off of the street out of the goodness of her heart."

Andrea shook her head and stepped around him to leave, calling behind her as she walked out of the door,  
"Just watch me."

* * *

**_Sorry this chapter was so short, guys! I have so much work to catch up on. I promise to make the next one longer :) _**

Milton and Andrea just had their first fight. What does this mean!?


	4. Clean up

Andrea sat on a bench and took in the feel of the cool air on her skin; the feelings of anger had faded after she left the apartment. Milton hadn't understood how she felt.. she knew he tried to, but he really just didn't.

Suddenly in the middle of all of her thoughts, she registered Shona walking over to her.. white hair blowing in the breeze around her. She smiled; a smile that Andrea should have trusted, but just couldn't.

"May I sit?" Andrea immediately noticed how composed Shona always appeared to be, her appearance was clean and together.. in ways, she reminded Andrea of Milton, and yet she didn't at the same time. She stood before Andrea with her hands behind her back, perfect posture. She wore a black long-sleeved button-up shirt with a pair of brown pants that was a slightly bigger size than her small frame needed, she noticed how shiny her combat boots were, and she took notice of the gun on her waist, half-concealed by her shirt. She did not seem to be trying to seduce anyone, but Andrea still didn't trust her around Milton. She just didn't seem human. Something in her icy eyes told Andrea that she should be afraid of this woman.  
Andrea sighed, "Yeah, whatever."

Shona carried herself much like Michonne.. careful in each step and action she made. It made the situation more awkward than it should have. "I am sorry for the fight I caused between the two of you." she met Andrea's eyes with her own, and Andrea could not deny the sincerity in her voice and face,  
"How could you possibly know about that?"

Shona smiled faintly and Andrea thought she caught a hint of pale pink in her cheeks. She tapped her ear lightly and shrugged, "Can't really help it. Hearing isn't what it used to be. I wish I could block out things... but as it stands..." she seemed distracted by something unseen.  
"Well. You two had no right to act like that.. and behind my back?" Andrea shook her head, "I never would have expected it from him.."  
Shona chuckled, and even though she was angry with her.. Andrea couldn't deny the sound was delightful. Tired, and yet full of life at the same time. Everything about this woman drew people in.. and she could almost understand why Milton defended her so much.. but she knew that this only made her all the more dangerous.

"I won't deny what I feel for your boyfriend. You'll never know what you have in that man. I wanted to be with him so desperately before I changed into..." she frowned and tapped her foot impatiently on the pavement, trying to think of the appropriate word to use, only to realize there wasn't one. "...Before I changed into this monster. He was always so passionate about finding a cure. When I changed, I knew I had to find him.. I knew that he could help me somehow. I came back to Woodbury only to find chaos. I just knew he was dead.. but then the lot of you arrived. I couldn't stop what I felt when I saw his face.. when I knew he was safe... and what I felt when I knew you had his heart."  
Andrea had stood to her feet with her arms crossed. This was not something she wanted to discuss with a woman who loved her boyfriend. She couldn't stop the words from coming out.

"I'm pregnant."

Shona's eyes could've fallen out of their sockets, she immediately stood, staring at Andrea's stomach with clear revulsion.  
"...Milton...?"  
Her voice was dripping with dread and hopelessness. As if she had lost a battle she had fought for far too long. Something had broken inside of her.  
A single tear escaped from Andrea, and her hands flew up to her stomach.  
"I'd give anything for it to be his."  
"Who...?"  
"Philip."  
Shona sighed and ran her hand through her hair, she couldn't fight the feeling of relief in her heart.. and she felt terrible for it. She knew this would destroy Milton.  
"You're positively sure?"  
Andrea shook her head slowly, "I'm not.. but, I'm late.."  
"Could be stress."  
"I've been sick.."  
"Could be the fact that you're surrounded by rotting flesh day after day."  
"Why are you so desperate for me to be wrong?"

Shona pointed at a building far off in the distance,  
"Rick brought in a baby girl. Can you possibly imagine the life that child will have before her? The horrors she will experience? Can you even process the fact that she will be filled with more fear than we've ever known? We've known normal lives; a gift that child will have never known. She will know only running.. survival.. she will watch her family get torn apart. Or... it could be worse..."  
Andrea raised an eyebrow.. what could be worse than what she had just described?

"..She could go the other way. She could be so indifferent to it all that she doesn't even resemble a human being anymore. She could feel the blood on her hands and not feel a damn thing. She could watch them all die and want so desperately to feel.. only for the feelings to never surface."

Andrea got the creeping feeling that perhaps Shona was talking about herself, beneath it all. It just seemed too... personal.  
Shona seemed to be lost in thought, "...Somehow, the days turn into weeks.. and you realize who you were.. whoever it was.. whatever it was.. has died. Deep down you know, you're not really that different from the things you're running from."

She shook off whatever thoughts were in head head and looked into Andrea's eyes. She didn't understand why it hurt to look at Shona so much. Perhaps it was because she was so radiant... or perhaps, there was a deep pain inside of her eyes that gripped her heart when she was face-to-face with it.  
"You need to find out for sure if you are pregnant.. but first.. you need to tell him."  
"I can't. If I am...he'll know it isn't his."  
"Yes, he will.. but I know him. He will be there, nonetheless. He will love the child as if it were."  
"I am sorry, Shona... I know this must bring you pain."  
Shona shrugged, "You make him happy," she took Andrea's face in her hands and smiled, "that is all I ever wanted.."  
Andrea hugged her and walked off in the direction of their apartment.  
Shona stood there for a while longer with a pained expression.

* * *

Milton was asleep when Andrea arrived back at the apartment. She bent down beside the bed and ran her index finger down his spine, he stirred and opened one eye to look at her, mumbling something incoherent.  
"We need to talk," she whispered, and he sat up, stretching and yawning.  
He grabbed his glasses off of the bed side table and put them on, he didn't have the warm, happy expression he usually did.  
"I think we actually talked enough earlier."

Andrea sat beside him with her hands in her lap, "I think I'm pregnant."  
"Very funny."  
She looked at him, and his expression told her that he wasn't buying it.  
"If you wanted to scare me, there are other ways.."  
She chuckled and shook her head, unable to believe his reaction.  
"Milton.." her tone was serious this time, and his eyes widened just as Shona's had. "..I'm serious. I think.. I'm pregnant."  
He stood up and began to pace.  
"I don't know for sure.. please don't freak out yet. I thought maybe we could go on a run and get a test to find out for sure..."  
It took a second for him to stop, mid-pace, and look at her.

"...It hasn't been that long since we.."  
"I know."  
"It can't be.."  
"No.."  
"That means it's.. Ph..Phil.."  
"...Yes.."  
She gasped loudly as he fainted and hit the floor.  
"Shona!" she called, knowing that she could hear her, and she was surprised when Shona arrived a few moments later.  
Shona burst into laughter the second she walked through the door,

"Clean up on aisle five."

* * *

**Just want to thank you guys for reading so far. Things are about to pick up, so I hope you're all prepared :)**

**FAQ # 1 & 2**

**Q: "Is Shona going to interfere with Milton/Andrea?**

**A: ****_While I enjoy writing about the character, I am fully committed to the Mildrea ship, if that tells you anything._**

**Q: "Is there going to be a big bad now that the Governor is dead?"**

**A: ****_It's not just the dead you have to fear. Milton's going to be making some mistakes, and he's going to have to pay dearly for it. Yes. There will be a _****_very_****_ big bad in this fic._**


	5. The beast at our door

Milton woke to the sound of rain falling on the roof, and the first thing he realized was that his head was pounding mercilessly, seemingly, it made the world move around him.. much like ripples on the water's surface. He turned over to look out the window and saw dark clouds; a deep gray and purple color. It should have sent him into a panic, but he couldn't force himself to care. He stared for several moments before a single thought came to him. It was unfortunate that it was of Andrea, and of the Governor.  
Of the possible child growing within her womb.  
Some men might have been filled with anger or disgust, but Milton was filled with a crippling desire, both to protect Andrea and to protect this child. A child that he would raise without question and without complaint.

It was only when his mind grew quiet that he even registered the rain once more.. and he almost believed he was imagining things when he heard a soft voice call to him. He couldn't force himself to speak.. his lips felt heavy, like two large boulders he just didn't have the strength to even try to move.

"I said..." the voice spoke clearer this time, and he almost knew who it belonged to, "are you okay?"  
He nodded stiffly, but was still unable to turn toward the voice. A blurry figure walked over in front of the window and climbed onto the bed beside him, it took him a while to realize it was Shona.  
"Hey," she knocked softly on his forehead, and he blinked several times "is anyone in there?"  
"...Yes..."  
His voice was weak and soft, and he felt as though he hadn't had a drop of water in years.  
"...W...Where is she?"  
Shona sighed and looked out the window, it seemed she was struggling for the right words.  
"She's gone, actually. Michonne took her to find a test."  
"...Not a.. pregnancy test?"  
She looked back at him, her hair falling around them and tickling his nose,  
"No, a Polygraph test." she said, grinning playfully.  
The edges of his mouth turned up into a half smile, and he knew that Shona was merely trying to lighten the situation. It didn't work, but her efforts were admirable.  
"Everything will be okay, you know."  
he nodded, and she knew that he didn't really believe it.

"I was thinking we could try something.."  
he raised an eyebrow, looking into her eyes for the first time since she'd climbed into bed with him.  
"Well, I sort of already prepared for you to say yes."  
He raised himself up on one elbow so that he could look at her better,  
"What?"  
"Inject some of my blood into a walker.. see what happens?"  
She smiled hopefully, thinking that Milton would jump at the chance to do an experiment.  
"That might be a really bad idea."  
Maybe not. She frowned and began to pick at her nails.  
"Maybe.. but do you have any other ideas?"  
Milton shook his head.. he really didn't. Truth be told, he could use a distraction. He immediately got out of bed and went to the closet to change.

* * *

**Back at the lab..**

* * *

Shona helped Milton strap a walker into a metal chair, and jerked back a few times as it tried to take a hunk out of her arm. She growled and tapped it on the nose, much like you would a dog. "Bad walker!"  
Milton sighed as he reached for a syringe,  
"Is that really necessary?"  
She plopped down into a nearby chair herself and snorted, "Come on, Milty.. don't be such a sour-puss."  
His expression was one of extreme doubt as his eyes shifted from the syringe, to the walker, and to Shona.  
"This... could have really bad consequences."  
Shona's expression hardened, as did her tone.  
"Who wants to live forever, anyway?"

Milton got the feeling that she didn't care if the experiment failed, or if she was hurt. She just wanted to try to help others.  
He couldn't stop thinking of all of the possible things that could happen. It could fail, the virus could be cured completely, or perhaps it would just break her spirit.

A loud clap of thunder made Milton flinch, as it shook the small building they were in. He hoped it didn't happen when the needle was in her.  
He wrapped the band around her arm above her elbow, and tightened it before tying it.  
She was breathing hard and her hands were shaking, but when he looked into her eyes, he knew she was sure about this. That she wanted it. That he would be a fool to refuse this opportunity to perhaps change the entire world. A grim thought suddenly invaded him..  
What if her blood was the only cure?  
...what did this mean for her?  
He shook his head and smiled, trying to hide the fear growing by the second.  
"Ready?"  
She laid her head back and sighed, closing her eyes and letting her other arm fall over the arm of the chair.  
"...Let's get this show on the road." she whispered.

The needle went into her skin like a knife into hot butter, and Milton's heart jumped into his throat when she jerked slightly,  
"Be still!" he shouted, perhaps louder and harsher than he should have, but Shona understood that she had startled him. It couldn't be easy, what she was making him do.  
The small vial filled with her blood fairly quickly, and he noticed that something was definitely off about it. It had a look that normal blood did not have.. It was even almost.. iridescent? He gasped and pulled the needle out, holding the vial up to the light and examining it.  
"This can't be happening." he breathed,  
"It kind of is."

He frowned down at her before untying the band around her arm, he gave her a small cloth to hold over where the needle went in and she smirked, "Not entirely sanitary, is it?"  
"No... but it'll do, I suppose... we're kind of low on supplies here, it seems."  
She nodded, fair enough.  
He turned his back to her and she heard him moving things around on the table against the wall, the walker groaned and tried to shift in his seat, but to no avail. Though its head was turned toward Milton, she could hear it's teeth snapping.  
"Be careful with that one, he's got a bit of an attitude."  
Milton turned around, and she knew he was on the verge of losing his nerve. She was afraid he'd kill the walker or let it go rather than risk the unknown.

He held a syringe in his shaking hand with her blood inside of it.  
He looked at her for confirmation, and she smiled.  
"No better time than right now, eh?"

Milton tried as best he could to keep his face away from the walker's, and even though its arms were moving and shaking, he managed to slide the needle in with minimal complication.  
He pressed the plunger and Shona watched her blood slowly disappear.. it seemed the walker began to calm down.  
Milton pulled the needle out quickly and backed away from the walker before it could injure him in any way, he had risked enough injecting her blood into him.. there was no need to linger.

Within minutes, the gray, grotesque skin of the walker begin to change, lighten and change to a normal tone. It even began to look healthy almost.  
Milton placed one of his hands over his chest, absolutely convinced he'd have a heart attack if he had just cured the virus.  
Shona ran over by him and looked the walker over.. it didn't even look like the same creature she'd seen moments ago. "Is this...is it... is it working?"  
Milton shrugged and chuckled nervously.  
"I...think it may be, actually."

He heard a car drive past and looked out the window to see the group's vehicle parking, Michonne and Andrea got out, Andrea was carrying a bag over her shoulder and talking to Michonne about something. Michonne clearly had little interest in whatever it was.  
"Andrea's back."  
"You should go to her."  
"...I can't leave right now.. unless.."  
"What?"  
"Unless you watch him."  
Shona nodded, "I'm good. Go on, just come back as soon as you can. I have no clue what I'm doing here."  
Milton opened the door and ran out, slamming it behind him with such force it made Shona jump. The rain had stopped pouring and the sun was even beginning to poke its head out from behind the dark clouds.

Andrea was surprised to see him running over to her. Milton never really got in a hurry about anything much, and he looked extremely excited about something. He placed a hand on her stomach and leaned up to kiss her lips softly,

"Shona told me you went to get a test.." he turned to Michonne, "Thank you for taking her.. I... shouldn't have acted that way. I should have been the one to do it."  
Michonne lowered her head and kicked at a rock uncomfortably.  
"About that.." Andrea said, "..I took the test before we headed back."  
Milton nodded and smiled, "I love you, and I just want you to know that I will love this baby too, as if he or she were my very own."  
Andrea frowned and glanced over at Michonne.. there was something she wasn't telling Milton.  
Milton was oblivious, and he leaned down to tickle her stomach lightly and press his ear to it, smiling like a child who was convinced he could hear wonderful things through a conch shell.  
Andrea ran her hand through his hair and crouched down to meet his eyes with her own,  
"..Milton.. I.."  
He was still smiling, and she knew this would be one of the most difficult things she had ever had to do.  
"You don't have to be nervous. We're safe here, and the baby can grow up here and have a bit of normalcy.. well, as much normalcy as one can have these days.. which brings me to my good news! The baby may not have to worry about that at all because I-"  
"I'm not pregnant." she interrupted.  
He immediately went quiet and frowned.  
"...You're.. not pregnant."  
"I don't know if it's my body reacting to stress and everything with Philip and.."  
"...Yeah..." he whispered, unable to hide his disappointment.  
"..This is a good thing, you know?"  
"..You're right.."  
"You're not ready to be a father, Milton.. and I'm sure as hell not ready to be a mother. Who wants to raise a child in a world like this?"  
Milton stood to his feet and nodded, forcing a smile no matter how much it hurt.  
"You're completely right. Everything is fine. We're fine.. safe.. everything is fine..."

There was no use dwelling on it any further. This was something that time would have to deal with, and Andrea really didn't care to discuss it.  
"..What were you saying about your good news?"  
Milton glanced over towards the lab,  
"Oh.. uhm... Shona and I have been busy. We may.. are you ready for this?"  
Michonne and Andrea both smiled and nodded, possibly more enthusiastic than they'd otherwise be. Maybe they were just eager to get off of the subject of children.  
"We may have just found a cure for the outbreak."  
Andrea's eyes widened and one of Michonne's hands flew up to her mouth,  
"That...Oh my god, are you serious?" Andrea asked, Milton nodded happily,  
"Show us." Michonne demanded, and Milton wasted no time in leading them to the lab.

Almost as soon as the door became visible, it flew open and Shona came running out with a look of complete terror on her face.  
"RUN!" she shrieked, and neither of the three asked any questions, they ran in the opposite direction, but the force of the 'explosion' knocked them off of their feet.

Milton rolled over onto his side to see the remains of his lab, shielding his eyes from debris. Nothing had really exploded.. something had burst out of the building. He could not give a name to the giant creature that had destroyed his lab as though it were just a simple piece of wood instead of the brick it was made out of. Whatever this thing was.. no nightmare he had ever had could compare to the horror before him now.

Gradually growing in size, it began to look less and less like a human by the minute.  
Members of the group and of the town ran to their location from all directions, and Milton heard Daryl gasp the moment he saw the monster in front of them,  
"The hell is THAT?"

The flesh of the creature began to melt like candlewax, and it bubbled in places, Daryl fired an arrow into what should have been it's side, and a small part of it exploded, spewing a putrid green liquid everywhere, onto the buildings, street, and onto people. While this may not have bothered him otherwise, he noticed that this wasn't just any ordinary liquid (in fact, nothing about this thing was ordinary) but it was in fact acid. Several people dropped to the ground clutching different parts of their body and screaming in pain as their skin melted off of them where the acid had landed. It destroyed everything, and it wasn't just people's clothing that was destroyed.. it even began to melt the road and bricks of the surrounding buildings. There were holes in the tree where it had landed, and soon, the monster let forth a horrifying sound similar to a siren with enough force to blow everyone back several feet.

Daryl dared to fire another shot into the creature, even though it had already regenerated where his arrow had pierced before, and something very different happened this time. Liquid poured out from under it and flowed out into the street like a flood, and out of this liquid, small beings began to take form. Beings that looked almost human except for their huge mouths and razor sharp teeth. They crawled on all fours towards the crowd like spiders, and what they lacked in speed, they made up for in other ways. One jumped into the crowd and landed on a small girl's back, biting into the flesh of her neck and ripping through her in mere moments. Those unlike the Prison group that were frozen in place, gripped by terror, were soon nothing more than a meal for the foul creatures that had invaded the town.  
Among the people that had made a split-second decision to flee the town were those that had come to Woodbury from the prison, along with Shona, who was not looking very healthy at the moment.

The sun had begun to set, and they noticed the giant thing was now destroying half of the town behind them.  
Beth screamed when she saw a young man get torn to shreds by one of the lesser spawns,  
"What is wrong with this town?!" she shouted, "Everytime I come here it's nothing but pure chaos!"  
Milton stopped for a second, panting hard, and wiped the sweat from his brow "It's apparently the Woodbury way. Here we thought Philip was our main concern."

Shona grabbed one of Milton's arms, "Milt... did you inject anything else into that thing?!"  
His eyes narrowed as he shook his head, "I left you alone with it... for two seconds..."  
"You think this is my fault?!"  
"I don't know whose fault it is.. but that thing should not exist!"  
"Look genius, in case you haven't noticed, the dead are walking around.. there's a lot of things that shouldn't be happening that ARE happening these days."  
Rick jumped between Shona and Milton, "Look.. We can fight about this later. We've got a lot bigger problems right now than how this happened. I don't see us taking this thing down.. so we're probably going to need to put as much space between us as possible right now."  
Shona hissed, "Fine. Agreed. Let's get going."

As they reached the outskirts of town, they found that they could risk a look back.. few buildings were standing in Woodbury now, and it seemed the giant's 'scream' had attracted more walkers than was possible to number.

There was no turning back. The road ahead would no doubt be hard to travel; they had no choice but to go down it. The alternative was to face death.

Though they knew that there was a possibility the road they were on would lead them to it just the same.


	6. Toy soldiers

Nightfall made it all harder, the group did not have the support of street lights, nor did anyone have their belongings. The luxuries of flashlights were long since passed. In a darkness so deep that one could not even see their hand in front of their face, it made every step a horrifying possibility: a possibility that it could be their last.

It might have been part of their coping mechanisms in the past to look on the bright side, but that would be impossible to do so now. There was no bright side. They were fleeing for their lives, and had no resources. No food, and absolutely no shelter. For the first night, they slept by a large lake, and were both comforted and horrified by the sounds of the fish occasionally making flopping noises in the water. A decision Daryl did not support, as he believed it would only make detecting walkers more difficult than it needed to be. However, the group needed water, not only to refill, but to wash their wounds out. The use of medical supplies was greatly needed, but unfortunately they would find no pharmacies to raid anywhere nearby their camp.

Shona's health went downhill drastically; Milton didn't understand how it was possible for her to be any more pale than she already was.. but she looked ghastly. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, and she had a nosebleed that seemed endless. Her eyes had begun to lose their light and her lips were a pale blue.

Milton felt guilty for blaming the Woodbury disaster on her, but truthfully, he couldn't explain what had happened. He had thought he got it all right.. why would her blood cause a walker to do..._ that_?  
The first night seemed to crawl by, and none of them slept hardly for fear of being ripped apart upon awakening.  
Soon they were blessed with daylight, and Daryl insisted on teaching what members were interested in catching food how to spear fish in the lake with sharpened branches. Glenn, Maggie and Beth went with him, while Andrea and Michonne seemed to keep to themselves for some reason that Milton was clearly missing. When he looked over in their direction, he saw Andrea with her back against a tree, and Michonne in her face, pointing her finger and it was obvious they were arguing.

Milton rushed over to defend Andrea, but was disturbed when he overheard Michonne's raised voice,  
"He deserves to know the truth!"  
"Why? What good will it do? Hmm? Why does it even matter to you, Mich? This isn't your burden to bear.."  
"It's only a burden because you've let it become one."  
"I told you.. I will take care of it..."  
The two heard his footsteps too late and when they turned to face him, his eyes darted from Michonne's face to Andrea's.. questions in his expression he couldn't bring himself to ask.. he only knew that he felt something was wrong, and that he probably didn't want to know what.  
With a throat as parched as the Sahara desert, he forced himself to speak,  
"...T..Take care of what?"  
Michonne lowered her gaze and bit her bottom lip, Andrea looked at her with a desperate plea written on her face.  
"...Andrea?" he said in a small voice, Michonne sighed and walked away,  
"..I want no part of this." she called over her shoulder, before joining the rest of the group that had not joined Daryl and the others on the other side of the lake.

Andrea put her head in her hands and shook it for what seemed like forever to Milton, because every second that ticked by only made the feeling in his stomach all the more worse.

"...Andrea.." he whispered, and he placed a hand on her arm, trying to tug her hands away from her face.  
"I'm sorry." she choked out, and he realized she was crying. She lowered her hands to reveal her red, watery eyes. He wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb, and caressed her cheek softly while looking into her eyes, hoping for a sign of what was going on.  
She looked at the man she loved.. into his pale green eyes, and she knew that she couldn't bring herself to lie to him anymore. She knew that she was about to break his heart.. and she hated herself for it. She wanted to run away.. back to Woodbury perhaps.. she felt she deserved whatever fate was waiting for her there. Yet, as if a force stronger than anything she had a name for took hold of her, she found the words pouring out before she could even think to stop them.  
"I lied.." she breathed, her eyes scanning his face. "I'm pregnant. I lied because... because... I'm going to take care of it. It's not a problem.." she tried to downplay it, but she knew every word cut him like a knife. She trembled as she watched his expression change from warm concern to disgust, confusion, and even a hint of anger.

"..Milton, I meant what I said back at Woodbury... we're not ready.. I can't watch a baby get torn apart. This is not a world meant for children. It's brutal.. and it's not a world even I want to live in. How can I condemn a child to it?"  
Milton's hand dropped to his side, and for several moments, the only sounds in the air were the sounds of his heavy breathing, and the sound of her own teeth chattering from the nervousness and fear she had felt.  
"Judith..." he whispered softly, but his tone dripped with pain he couldn't adequately express.  
"Who can say what fate that poor baby has?"  
He met her eyes, and she saw a tear fall down his cheek,  
"...Who can say what fate this baby has?"  
"It's Philip's, Milton. We both know that... how can you even fathom raising a child he created?"  
Milton's mouth fell open and an anguished sound escaped from his throat.. she had never seen him so full of longing and suffering, and it made her heart ache inside her chest.  
He turned from her, much like Michonne had.. and he swallowed the lump in his throat.  
"..I wanted that child before I knew for certain you were even pregnant."  
"Oh, Milton... Please.. don't do this!" she called after him, as he walked away from her, her voice broke on the last word and she began to cry.  
Her sobs were interrupted when she heard a faint, terror-filled shriek from across the lake. Though it was a bit off in the distance, the scream seemed to shatter the silence around them that she had come to appreciate in some small way.

She stood up and placed her hand over her eyes to block the sun, and panic struck her when she saw dozens of walkers closing in around Daryl and the others. She couldn't be sure, but it appeared Daryl had his crossbow raised and the others were attempting to fend them off with the sticks they had made earlier.

She didn't stop to think about the consequences, and she was running over to them before she could even consider grabbing a weapon.  
The rest of the group rushed around grabbing what they could to defend themselves, and then they too darted off in the direction of the others. Shona tried to rally her strength and join the fight, but found that it was extremely difficult to even move her limbs.

Their weapons consisted of broken tree limbs, heavy rocks, and what little they had on their person when they fled Woodbury. Hardly capable of withstanding a massive attack, but they had no option but to rush to the aid of their friends.

They collided with the wall of walkers that kept them from Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, and Beth. Milton ducked when he saw Daryl aim at a walker in his direction, and one of them snapped at his back. Andrea drug it off of him and he saw her push and kick the snapping walker into a tree, impaling it on one of it's sharper branches. It wouldn't keep it at bay for long, but it would do long enough for her to find something to defend herself. Soon, he saw her pick up a large rock, and bash the walker in the skull with it. Blood splattered her shirt and face, and he turned from the sight, unable to ever fully get used to the brutality of it all.

Two walkers came at her, she had her back turned and Milton, regardless of how angry he was at the situation he had found himself in earlier, rushed to her side. He grabbed her by the waist and pushed her out of the way of the walkers, which were now bearing down on him, pushing him against the tree and clawing at his shirt, threatening to rip through into his flesh. He held one of them by the throat and attempted to kick the other away from him for as long as he could, "Go!" he screamed at Andrea, who was now climbing to her feet and coming to help him. He felt the wind coming off of the walker as it's teeth snapped together just inches from his nose, and he turned his face to the side, afraid of it getting any closer than it already had. Before Andrea could reach him, a large pipe broke through the walker's skull and sent blood pouring onto Milton, he spat as it flooded his mouth and glasses. Expecting Daryl, Rick, or Michonne, Andrea was surprised to see that it was Beth that had saved Milton from certain death. She took the opportunity to glance over at the others, and saw that they were managing quite well.. she quickly counted 7 walkers and ran over to help clear the remaining few out.

Maggie managed to get one of them down to the ground, and landed several kicks to its head before stomping and crushing it, putting an end to the vile creature once and for all.

Beth quickly killed the other walker that had intended to make Milton it's next meal, and as she flashed a triumphant smile to him, he saw them. He saw them before she could have had time to react. They must have been attracted to the sounds of the fighting. At least four walkers seemed to appear out of nowhere behind her, and he saw their grotesque figures shadow the girl before he could even scream out for her to move. He rushed forward but he couldn't have possibly made it in time. They were too close.. she was caught off guard. One walker bit into her neck, and blood spilled out over her shoulder and shirt as her expression turned from triumph to terror. The reality of it all began to sink in instantly, and Milton tried his best to help her.. though he knew it was no use. He landed a good punch to the one that bit her neck, and knocked him backwards, but no sooner than he had released her from one of her attackers, did another take a large bite out of her arm, ripping flesh with a disturbing, horrifying gushing sound. "No!" he heard Maggie scream in the background, over the sounds of her impending death. Milton took notes from Maggie and managed to crush the skull of one of the walkers, but as he turned to Beth, he saw that they had her on the ground now. She kicked at them but they clung to her legs and jeans like nets that she just couldn't shake off. Her screams were endless, and they shattered any hope the group had in their hearts; her screams were filled with terror, and Milton couldn't even begin to grasp the agony she was enduring. Out of nowhere, Shona appeared, apparently not hindered by her state of health. Miraculously, she managed to decapitate two of the walkers just by slashing at its throat with her arms. As for the last one, she tackled it and literally began to rip into its skull with her bare hands. Carl stared in horror as this took place, while Beth's screaming died down and Maggie's sobs were heard at last, combined with those of Hershel's.

Maggie's hand ran over her sister's wounds, desperate to close them somehow; to heal what she knew she couldn't even begin to try to heal. Beth's pain was either fading, or she was too far gone to notice it anymore. She stared up into the faces of her father and her sister, and she smiled. Her body was covered with her own blood, and her wounds continued to bleed out onto those around her and onto the ground. Her blonde hair was soaked with blood that she would never be able to wash out.. that she would never truly even see. Carl had collapsed to the ground, and Rick embraced him lovingly. Carl had cared for Beth more than he ever let on, and now.. she was dying. He blamed himself, and Rick knew it. He wasn't sure what toll this would take on his son, but he knew that there would be significant consequences after all that had just happened.  
Carol bent down by Hershel and he rested his head on her shoulder, shaking his daughter's arm, as if to wake her from a sleep she had not yet fallen into.

Tears fell from Maggie's cheek to Beth's shirt, and Beth's eyes landed on each member of the group's face before they traveled upward, to perhaps admire the trees and the warm sun that she would never see again.  
Slowly, her eyelids closed, and her mouth parted slightly. She sang so softly and faintly that Milton could barely hear her over the sound of the wind blowing through the trees around them, but it struck him and affected him more than he would have ever been able to prepare himself for.

"...Goodnight... and.. joy... be with you... _all_."

The final word was nothing more than a forced breath, and it happened to be the last breath that Beth would ever take. Her hand that Maggie gripped tightly and rubbed helplessly, fell limp in her grasp, and her chest moved no more.  
Carl stood and towered over the rest of the group that were now sitting or kneeling around Beth's lifeless body, and he drew his gun, pointing it directly at her head.. before Maggie shook her head.  
"No..."  
"She's going to turn.. I have to.." Carl's tone was empty.. devoid of emotion, and his expression was that of acceptance and hopelessness.  
Maggie held her hand out, wiping her runny nose with her other, seemingly failing to notice the blood she had just gotten on her face.  
"Give it to me... I'll do it.."  
"No." Hershel protested, shaking his head, "..She's my daughter... it's my job, Maggie."  
Maggie smiled slightly at her father, "She's my baby sister..." her voice cracked and she began to cry again, she turned her face away from the rest of the group, but shook her hand impatiently again, waiting for Carl to hand her the gun, which he did so hesitantly.  
Soon, the horrible, familiar sounds disrupted the illusion of peace that had followed Beth's tragic death. Beth began to reanimate in Maggie's arms, and Hershel placed his hand on his older daughter's back, attempting to comfort her as she did what no one should ever have to do.  
Beth's eyes opened to reveal nothingness, and her lips parted so that inhuman growls and moans could escape her. Her limbs twitched before rising slowly, she looked at Maggie curiously before beginning to lean up to try to bite her.

Maggie was overcome by grief.. whimpers and anguished cries filled the air as she placed the gun under her beloved sister's chin, aiming it upwards. Her finger on the trigger, she gripped the fresh walker's hair and tugged it backwards, looking it in the eyes for a moment, before closing her eyes and pulling the trigger at last. Destroying the monster that had taken over her sister's body. Maggie screamed, placing the gun on the walker's chest, and buried her face in her father's chest, curling her hands into fists and hitting him weakly, her fury too smothered by sorrow to unleash its full impact. Glenn came over and wrapped his arms around both Maggie and Hershel, as the two of them clung to each other like two dying animals, trying to make sense of what was happening to them.

Milton heard Daryl telling Rick that they needed to prepare for her burial, but the words had no weight to them.  
Lying before him was a young, beautiful girl who had lived through so much, only to die saving his life. Milton was drowning in guilt, and he was desperate to escape Maggie and Hershel. He couldn't handle their anguish, especially when he felt he caused it.  
Andrea noticed him leaving and followed behind slowly, until the two of them reached the camp. She didn't notice Milton's cries until she got closer to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder, and before she could say a word, he turned and embraced her, putting his head on her shoulder and crying into her ear.

She didn't know what to say.. she didn't know what to do.  
But suddenly she found herself making decisions she didn't know she wanted to make.. that she needed to make. She found herself speaking words she thought she never would, and somehow.. she found that she was okay with it.

"I'm keeping the baby." she whispered softly,  
he let her go and stepped back from her..  
"...Why?"  
"...Beth gave her life to protect you.. she would have done it for any of us. Just like you would. I know that there's death in this world we live in now but..." she stepped forward and took his face in her hands and she knew what she was about to say held more truth than she ever thought it could, "...there's also life. There's love. We've lost our families.. but look at what we gained in return: A family of a different kind. I want to add to that family."

Beth's death probably should have made the decision not to keep the baby solid and firm, but instead, it had a reverse effect. Andrea saw how Maggie and Hershel felt about Beth.. the love that they shared.. and she wanted it for herself. While she considered the group her family now, she wanted to make a family of her own, and she wanted to do it with Milton. She knew that there were risks, but she believed that if she could carry this child and protect it with her life.. there was hope.

Milton's face lit up and he kissed her passionately, tangling his fingers in her golden locks. Regardless of the grief they held in their hearts.. he had the promise of a bright future. A family that he never would have believed to be possible for him... and he wanted it with everything he had in him.  
Their kisses were interrupted when Shona cleared her throat. She didn't bother to mention Beth's death, or why they were so happy.. she simply looked terrified and sure of herself, both at the same time.  
She nodded briefly, seeming to come to terms with what she was about to say.  
"...I think it's time to end this."


End file.
